The present invention relates to a strip film handling device for microfilm readers and the like, and more particularly to a strip film handling device for a microfilm reader or the like which uses a roll film wound on a reel and placed in a cartridge, the device being universally usable for films of the type having a stiff lead tape at the leading end of the film and also for films having no lead tape.
Such devices are disclosed, for example, in S. L. Pastor et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,682, N. J. Rosenburgh U.S. Pat. No. 3,467,340 and E. O. Wangerin U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,897.
FIGS. 1 to 3 show a device for use with a strip film comprising a film main portion 1 and a lead tape 2 attached to the leading end of the main portion 1 and having a larger width and greater stiffness than the main portion 1. The film is accommodated in a cartridge 5 with its main portion 1 wound on a reel 3 inside flanges 4 and the lead tape 2 wound around the flanges 4. The cartridge 5 is formed in a shoulder portion thereof with an opening 6 having therein a roller 7 which is movable in a direction as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 3 to nip the lead tape 2 between the roller 7 and the outer peripheries of the flanges 4. By virtue of the stiffness of the lead tape 2, the free end of the tape 2 is led to a film outlet 8 and delivered to a guide 9 by the rotation of the roller 7 in the direction of the arrow. Typical of such systems is disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,682. While the lead tape 2 is thus withdrawn by the roller 7 in frictional contact therewith, the strip film must be taken up on the reel 3 by driving the reel 3. For this purpose, the reel 3 is centrally provided with a connector 10 having embedded therein attractable pieces 11 which are engageable by magnet pieces embedded in an engaging portion of an unillustrated drive shaft. Pins projecting from the drive shaft engaging portion are engageable in bores in the connector 10 to couple the connector 10 to the drive shaft.
FIG. 4 shows another cartridge 15 for a strip film having no lead tape at its leading end. The cartridge 15 is formed in its bottom with a film drive aperture 16 for feeding the film. A device for the cartridge 15 for handling the film has a film drive roller 20 shown in FIG. 5 and insertable into the aperture 16. In direct rolling contact with the roll film 1, the roller 20 frictionally drives the film for feeding. The cartridge 15 has a film outlet 18 provided with a separating roller 21 which is rotatable as indicated by an arrow. The leading end of the strip film 1, when reaching the outlet 18, is separated from the roll by the roller 21 and is withdrawn. The reel 17 for the film has a square bore 19 for receiving an unillustrated winding drive shaft. The drive roller 20, which is movable into or out of the aperture 16 by a solenoid 22, is driven by a drive shaft 23 through a belt or the like.
Since the film is not provided with any lead tape and therefore is not as stiff as the lead tape, the leading end of the film must be separated by some means, such as the above-mentioned separating roller, from the roll portion, but the film has the advantage that the lead tape can be dispensed with. Although the system for such film is thus advantageous over the one shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the system is disadvantageous in other respects. The device shown in FIG. 4 is known as the easy loading system cartridge of Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co., U.S.
Further as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,208,682 and 3,599,897, Eastman Kodak Co., U.S. has proposed Ectamate systems for loading a specifically designed machine with a cartridge.
Basically these system are similar to the one shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. With U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,682, the flanges of a reel carrying a strip film are pressed on from the opposite sides to warp the leading end of the film widthwise and to thereby cause the flexible film to exhibit some stiffness so that the leading end can be separated from the roll portion. The system of U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,897 has a film outlet provided with a separating member in the form of a scraper.
Since the cartridge is adapted for use with specially designed machines with these systems, the cartridge is simpler than those of the two systems of Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co. described above.
FIG. 6 shows such a cartridge 25 integrally molded from plastics in a C-shaped piece and flexible at the back portion 26 of the C-shaped piece. The cartridge has a film outlet 27 at the open portion of the C shape and a bottom aperture 28 for retractably providing a film drive roller, such as the one shown in FIG. 5. A strip film wound on a reel can be placed into the cartridge 25 when the open portion 27 is forcibly enlarged upward and downward to diametrically enlarge the reel accommodating portion. When the reel is placed in position, the side flanges of the reel engage the opposite sides of a circumferential projection 29 on the inner periphery of the cartridge 25, rendering the reel rotatable by being guided by the projection 29.
As will be apparent from the foregoing description, the conventional film handling devices described, i.e. the system shown in FIG. 2 and the easy loading system, share nothing in common in respect of the film withdrawing or feeding method and each require a specific feeding mechanism. Further with Ectamate systems for which special machines are used, there are limitations on the films usable, or a specified machine must be prepared for a particular system, hence inconvenient.
Further since the widths of strip films still remain to be fully standardized, the film width differs slightly from maker to maker. Accordingly a cartridge containing a microfilm of one company is sometimes unusable for a retrieving device (for microfilm readers or the like) of another company because the flange-to-flange distance of a reel is set for the specified retrieving device. Thus there are serious limitations on the universal use of retrieving devices and cartridges.
Further there are automatic retrieval systems which are adapted to detect a mark on an edge portion of strip films. Such systems are not satisfactorily usable unless the detecting member is located in conformity with the position where the mark passes. However, the mark bearing position also varies slightly from maker to maker or from system to system.
On the other hand, FIGS. 2, 4 and 6 show that the film outlets of the cartridges for various systems are located substantially at the same position.